Alta Ski Area in One Day

The best runs, rest stops, and photo ops

Alta Ski Area is a skiers dream! It’s the first mountain we’ve been to that’s just for skiers. The runs are steep and challenging, there’s great moguls, unique tree runs, long traverses, and amazing snow! Perfect for a skier who’s looking for something different! But, if you’re just getting started there’s fun spots to learn too.

So, let’s get to it! We’re always looking for some adrenaline and new challenges while we ski, so here’s our favorite runs, rest stops, and photo ops on the mountain!

Alta Ski Area – The best runs

Collins Lift

There’s 2 bases on the mountain, Albion Base and Wildcat Base. We started at Wildcat Base and took Collins Lift to the top. This is where you can take the famous High Traverse. You have a choice of runs to take down from High Traverse but we like Columbine and Watson Line which then meets up with a nice blue run to take you back to the base.

Sugarloaf Lift

Our favorite run off Sugarloaf Lift is Cabin Hill. Take Devil’s Elbow to Razorback to Cabin Hill. This is an amazing run through the trees and cabins that populate the area. On a powder day, you’ll find some of the best fresh snow here! Fun fact: The trees on this run weren’t always here. They were planted years ago by the landowner who wanted specific tree runs to ski in. Long story short – they’re perfectly placed trees for skiing through!

Supreme Lift

We love the Supreme Lift specifically for Catherine’s Area. It’s great for a challenge and fresh powder, but you have to work to get there. Once off the lift, take a left and ski up the small incline to the entrance to Catherine’s Area. If you want some freshies, take a right, take off your skis, and hike up the hill. It only takes a few minutes and is so worth it! I promise! Once at the top, traverse over, and find a spot you’re comfortable dropping in. Again, lots of fun trees!

Alta Ski Area – The best rest stops

Goldminer’s Daughter 

A great spot to stop and rest, no matter the time of day, is Goldminer’s Daughter. Located at the Wildcat Base, it’s right in the middle of everything and offers breakfast, coffee, lunch, dinner, and drinks. It’s quick and has plenty of seating overlooking the mountain. We stopped in for breakfast and ordered the breakfast burrito – so yummy! Full of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes, for only $8!

Alf’s Restaurant

At the base of Sugarloaf lift and Supreme lift, you’ll find Alf’s Restaurant. Being we hung out here for most of the day, we stopped at Alf’s for lunch. It’s a quick spot for food and drinks and has a variety of options. I got a quick spinach salad, a local IPA, and an amazing cookie. Is it just me or do cookies taste so much better on the mountain?!

Peruvian Lodge

The best Apres Ski spot on all of Snowbird and Alta is the Peruvian Lodge. Take the Peruvian Lodge shuttle from the Wildcat base to the lodge – it’s the easiest route there and it only takes a few minutes! The lodge has been around since 1948 and you can find the bar on the 2nd floor. It has a great old-school ski vibe, and has live music too!

Motherlode Ski Shop

Need a shopping break? Motherlode Ski Shop is the place to go! It has all the ski and Alta-branded gear you could want. We always buy a sticker to put on our helmets at each new mountain we ski, so we of course had to get one here. Such a fun shop to check out.

We can’t wait to get back to Alta Ski Area for some more great powder and great runs! I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did!